Improvement in cotton-bale ties



T. J. TORRANS.

Cotton-Bale Tie.

No. 218,600. Patented Aug. 12,1879.

' band.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

THOMAS J. TORRANS, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT MIDDLE- TON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-BALE TIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,600, dated August 12, 1879; application filed March 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. TORRANS, of Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Bale Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to cotton-bale ties; and it consists in a metal plate having two tongues struck up from it and bent or turned up parallel to each other, or at right angles to the plane of the plate, and adapted to hold the strap-iron between the bale and the edges of the tongues, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cottonbale having my improved tie applied to its Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed section of a part thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views of parts thereof.

A represents a cotton-bale, with the straps B B around the same. The bale-tie is composed of a metal plate, 0, rectangular in form and of any suitable dimensions. By means of a die, or other instrument, three slits are cut in the body of this plate in the form of the letter H, thereby forming two tongues, D D, from the body of the plate, which tongues are bent or turned up so as to stand parallel to each other or at right angles to the plane,

of the plate.

When the bale is compressed and the bands or straps drawn tight the ends of the band are passed through the center opening in the plate G, and then bent back over the edges of the tongues D D, said tongues pointing inward against the bale. When the press is released the expansion of the bale holds the ends of the band firmly against the edges of the tongues.

I am aware that a tie is made with two projecting tongues; but in such case as known to me the tongues are set at an angle and the metal'cut half through its thickness, so that the flanges may yield and gripe the band when the strain comes upon the band. It is further applied with the tongues outside, the band being inserted from the inside with the ends outside.

In my bale-tie the tongues are set parallel to each other. The metal is not out through, but the whole strength of the metal is retained as far as possible to prevent the tongues from yielding. It is applied with the tongues next to the bale, and the band is inserted from the outside with the ends inside next to the bale, so as to bring a pressure upon the band where it rests upon the edges of the tongues to fur ther prevent slipping when the strain comes upon the band from the expansion of the bale.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The within-described bale-tie, consisting of the centrally slotted plate 0, having the tongues D D turned up parallel to each other, in combination with strap B, said plate being so applied as to hold the strap between the tongues and bale, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS J. TORRANS. Witnesses:

RICHARD B. OWEN, F. INGATE. 

